The point out of an outlaw bikie member typically conjures up photos of a huge, bearded, and lengthy-haired man, protected in tattoos, carrying leathers atop a roaring Harley Davidson. A blue-collar battler, blood unswerving, dwelling existence on the road, freed from societal expectancies.
But police in Canberra have got down to bust this stereotype, arguing it has largely disappeared and cutting-edge outlaw motorbike gangs have rather morphed into specially organized crime syndicates with one aim — to make money.
They stated there had been some commonplace misconceptions approximately bikie gangs.
Bikies trip motorcycles
But ACT Policing’s supervisor of criminal investigations, Detective Superintendent Scott Moller, said bikes played miles much less significant role inside the gangs now than within the beyond. He said members had been now loose to be “Nike bikies” — young guys who desired fashion designer labels and luxury vehicles over the vintage-school motorbikes and leather-based.
“We’re seeing golf equipment in which contributors do not have bikes, which years ago might have never occurred,” Superintendent Moller said.
“If you take a look at the way organized crime has advanced, truely locally in Canberra, it’s no longer approximately riding a bike; it’s approximately profitable.”
They’re loyal to their gangs.
Historically, contributors swore loyalty to the gang and considered other members a circle of relatives, relating to each other as “brothers.”
Patching over or switching clubs becomes considered an unforgivable sin.
But Detective Superintendent Moller said this membership loyalty had faded. There was now an element of “colorations for convenience” approximately membership, wherein many bikies were opportunists first and shifted gangs according to the most profitable option.
“The whole ethos of being an outlaw motorbike gang member has changed through the years; traditionally, they had been very unswerving to their individual golf equipment,” he said.
“But certainly now we are seeing human beings pass among the golf equipment, and I suppose they pass relying on who’s got the dominance and in which the most cash may be made.
He said it created a fluid environment that would investigate the gangs and their contributors and buddies tough.
“It’s some other complexity to investigating organized crime,” he stated.
“But sincerely for us, whether or not they may be a member of the Finks or a member of the Nomads or a member of the Comanchero or Satudarah, it doesn’t make a wonderful deal of distinction, they may be nevertheless involved in an organized crime syndicate, and we will target them.”
